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Jury returns verdict in murder trial of mother and boyfriend accused in her 1-year-old son's death

The mother and her boyfriend both stood trial, but the jury issued split decisions on their fates.

MACON, Ga. — A Macon mother was convicted of murder and child cruelty Friday evening in the death of her 1-year-old son, but her boyfriend was acquitted on all counts.

Carla Pounds was charged with two counts of murder and cruelty to children.

Originally, Pounds told investigators that her son, De'Yuntis Pounds, was not holding down any food the night before but she "didn't think much of it."

She said De'Yuntis fell asleep at around 8:30 p.m. and she didn't check on him until 10 a.m. the next morning. That was between July 16 and July 17, 2018.

While she was originally only charged with cruelty to children for failing to feed her son, the charges were later upgraded to murder.

According to Pounds' indictment, she was also accused of hitting De'Yuntis in the head and body and beating her son to death. 

While the indictment accuses Pounds and her boyfriend, Denzel Leon Clark, of acting together, the jury didn't buy it.

Pounds was convicted of malice and felony murder along with cruelty to children in the first degree. Clark faced the same charges as Pounds but the jury acquitted him of all counts. 

While some in the gallery were disappointed in the jury's decision to acquit Clark, others felt relieved that justice was served in Pound's conviction. 

Pounds was taken into custody as she waits for her sentencing.

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